This article was taken from the January 2015 issue of WIRED magazine. Be the first to read WIRED's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
Yuval Kaminka wants to make learning a musical instrument as easy as playing Guitar Hero. "The inspiration came from one of my nephews," says the cofounder and CEO of Tel Aviv-based startup JoyTunes. "Why was he so passionate about the Wii, but fought against the piano?"
The answer: it's not fun to be bad at something. "Most people drop out of playing an instrument before they reach an aptitude where it becomes enjoyable," says Kaminka, 33. So JoyTunes' iOS app Piano Maestro gamifies the experience, using skill challenges, scores and achievements to teach students basics like sight-reading, rhythm and technique. Learners play along in time with one of 1,000 songs; the app uses an iPad's mic and audio recognition to identify how well they're playing.
Most users pay a subscription fee, but JoyTunes is making the app free for teachers and students. "We're seeing it being used as a primary or even the sole method for teaching," says Kaminka.
The results are impressive: "We've found that kids are practising at home much more frequently."
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
